Lighting system for vehicles



B. J. GRIGSBY. LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC-5,1917- 1,367,961 Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

B. I. GRIGSBY.

I LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.5, 1917.

1,367,961 J Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- PATENT OFFICE.

IBERTRAM J. GRIGSBY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 8, 1921.

Application filed December 5, 1917. Serial No. 205,583.

To allwhomit may concem:

Be it known that I, BERTRAM J. GRIGSBY, citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lighting Systems for Vehicles; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to lighting systems for horseless vehicles inconnection with the usual head lights of such vehicles, though adaptable also for use in other places.

' One of the objects of my invention is to I provide an improved lamp or head light for use on vehicles of the class named which besides answering as such head light will brightly illuminate the license plate on the front of the car which usually is not easily readable.

The proper lighting of the number plate of a horseless vehicle is highly important and although the laws of some States require it to be brightly illuminated there are few plates that are really readable because no provision is made for the light being properly thrown upon them. The device of my invention is directed to this end.

Another and important object is to have a projecting lighted portion on one or both of the lamps or head lights, the lamp and the projecting lighted portion being of a form of outline easily distinguishable.

In the ordinary manner of lightin two lamps of either the side or head light type are used. When in front of cars on a wide road or boulevard when, several cars may be moving abreast, it is important, as a safety measure, that a edestrian shall be able to quickly distinguisli between the pairs of lamps on any approaching car and those on separate cars. That is to say, particularly in the more darkened portions of a street or boulevard a head light, however low in candle power, is blinding to an observer in front of it in that the outline of the cars cannot be seen beyond the light and no one of the lamps of the ordinary round type is distinguishable from another. Particularly when two or more approaching ears chance to be spaced apart a distance substantially equal to the distance between two lamps as usually spaced on a car, the

portions, selective distinguishing means may.

be rovided for individual makes of cars.

n addition, the light from the luminous portion can be utilized by being directed upon the license number plate in any one of a number of ways.

In addition to the above, the illuminated pro ecting or connecting portion, as the case may be, may have a substantial reflecting power for illuminating the road-way or may be used merely as a luminous portion between the two principal light sources. In the former instance, it is advisable, perhaps, that the terminals of the luminous portion have relatively increased luminosity by any desired method in order to meet the object for which a pair of lamps are now used. By this method the direct glare of the light source would not be visible but would be thrown upon the reflecting surface and that surface thus illuminated, would serve to light the road ahead, this being one of the objects of my invention. The lamps themselves in such case may be shaded or covered so that only the reflecting surfaces would light the road ahead.

The reflecting surface of the illuminated portion may be lighted by the rays from two lamps used in the principal terminal reflectors, i. e. the head lightsthemselves; but where greater power is required independent light sources could be provided for said reflecting portion as will be explained.

To the end that my invention may be thoroughly understood in all its parts, the accompanying drawings are provided, but it is by no means to be understood that I am confined particularly to what is there illustrated, since the invention is susceptible of various changes, all of which will lie within the meaning of the invention and the scope of the appended claims.

Figure 1 is an elevation of the front tion of a horseless vehicle, showing the por- Ill

usual head lights and my invention in one of its forms connecting them, and a license number plate suspended from the same;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the two head lights and my invention, portions being shown in section;

Fig. 3 shows the head lights and a con necting reflecting-portion for the same of a slightly modified construction;

Fig. is a side elevation of one of the lamps, showing the connecting portion of Fig. 1 in section on line w-ab;

ig. 5 is a'front elevation of a pair of head lights showing means of illuminating the connecting portion by its own contained 1' ht source;

ig. 6 is an'enlarged cross section of the oonnectin reflecting portion shown in the previous gures an the form of lamp in Fig 5;

1g. 7 1s an elevation of one form of the connecting portion for the lamps and clamping portions therefor;

Fig. 8 is a plan of the same; Fig. 9 is an elevation of a slightly different form of outline of the head lights, and the reflecting portion, giving an idea of the change in design;

Fig. 10 shows an elevation of still another design.

In the first two figures the usual form of head lights represented by A are mounted in any usual manner upon-the gearing of" the vehicle, for instance by'means of standards B secured upon the springs 'C, but other'means of mounting may be used.

In the shell of each lamp is an opening D and an opening E is also made in the usual reflector F. In this instance said openings D and E may lie opposite one another. flecting portion G preferably having substantially the form of cross section shown in Figs. 4 and 6. That is to say, it is semitubular, its open side being in front asin Fig. 4, or it may be closed by means of a frosted glass, opal glass, or the like, see H in said Fig. 6.

In the openings D or the portion G adjacent said opening as shown in Fig. 2, I may place a lens X of the bulls-eye type for distributing the light upon the inner surface of the said portion G which surface may be silvered or coated with a white substance as a reflecting medium. the lens also preventing dust entering the lamps A, but

plain glass may be used for the latter purose. From the portion G or other part may be suspended the usual license number the reflecting surface of said portion directing the light rays both upon the .said plate and forward u on the road.

In Fig. 3 have shown a slightly different form of reflecting surface from the Between. the lamps is placed a re-.

plate,

plain one shown in Fig. 2, wherein thesurface has a series of step or reflecting faces, which faces recede toward each end from the middle of the length of the portion G, the latter corresponding to G in the other figures, so that the rearmost one at a, for example, is considerably rearward of the foremost face 12. When thus arranged, these faces or facets are designed 'to receive and re-direct outwardly the light rays received upon them from the light sources.

In Fig. 5 the connecting portion G corresponding to G in Figs. 1 and 4 is furnished with its own light source, the drawing illus-- trating the well known tubular double cappedi lamps G which may be preferably connected in series so that the wiring connections, not shown, can be conveniently disposed of. This direct illumination, it may be seen, can be employed as readily as the indirect method previously described Where the invention is to be adopted b several manufacturers each may use a di ferent design to distinguish his car from other makes. For example, one manufacturer may use the distinguishing design in Fig. 1, another maker may adopt the form shown in Fig. 9, for example, where the lamps are triangular, and another may adopt portion to the lamps; said reflecting portion may be furnished with a clamping band L at its ends to encircle and clamp upon the body of the lamps A, but other methods are open to use.

Even lighting of the number plate and a soft flood of light is desirable both for said late and the road ahead which is furnished y the separate lamps in the spaced-apart bodies or housings between which the reflecting means extends, the substantially semicylindrical reflector causing the light to be thrown forwardly and downwardly. From each direction the light reaches the numberplate as well as from above where it is reflected downwardly and rearwardly upon said plate as is clear from Fig. 4.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a road lighting system for vehicles, the combination with a pair of spaced lamp housings and a lamp in each, of a reflector-' a forward and downward direction, the lamp housings being open at their sides to emit light therethrough upon the interior surfaces of said reflector portion.

2. In aroad-lighting system for vehicles,

the combination of a pair of spaced lamp housings each inclosing a lamp, and each having an opening in one of its sides, one facing the other, a substantially semi-cylindrical reflector portion 1 between the housings, its ends lying at sai openings,the open side of .said portion being disposed whereby to direct light received by said portion forwardly and downwardly, and a plate suspended from said portion rearwardly of 15 the foremost reflecting surface thereof, re-' ceiving light from the same.

In testimon whereof I aflix my signature, in presence 0 two witnesses.

BERTRAM J. GRIGSBY,

Witnesses:

E. J. MGGOWEN, Jr., 7 ERNST K. ANDERSON. 

